Sprinkler-alarm system.



A. GOLDSTEIN & H. F. BLAUKWELL.

SPRINKLER ALARM SYSTEM.

APPLICIATION FILED APR.13,1910.

Patented Feb. 14, 1911.

WITNESSES:

' Arm/Mr.

. opened or closed, may

-United States, residing at New York. in

' flow. continues,

terminates in a casingT.

outrun s rarns ALBERT GOLDSTEIN AND HENRY F. BLACKWELL. OF NEW PATENT OFFICE.

YORK, N. Y.. ASSIGNORS TO SPRIN KLER-ALARIVE SYSTEM. 7

T all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that we, ALBERT and HENRY F. BLAonwnL-n,

GoLus'rmN citizens'o't the the county of New York and State o't New York, have invented a certain newand useful Improvement in Sprinklerutlarm Systems, of which the following is a spccitication. l

ln sprinkler systems for the automatic s l v supply ot water tor the tu'c protection of buildings, after the slwinklcrs have been set in operation by the melting of their fuses, or in any other way, the water continues to escape from them and may go on drcnclr ing the building and its contents after the fire which has set them in operation has been extinguished. In this way damage to property by water often in excess of that due to the tire, may easily be caused.

The presentinvention provides an alarm which is set in operation by the flow 1n the sprinkler system supply pipe, and which will remain in operation as long as that thus giving warning of the aforesaid escape.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is an elevation of a part of a main water supply conduit leading to the sprinkler system of a building, to which conduit our apparatus is shown applied. Fig. 2 illustrates diagrammatically the electrical parts of said apparatus.

Similar letters and numbers ot reference indicate like parts.

The water current in the 'main supply pipe A moves in the direction of the arrow. Connected at its ends to said pipe is a'bypass B, in which, near the main pipe, are plugs O, D, which may be opened or closed for admitting the current to, or shutting it ofi from, the by-pass. aid. plugs when so be locked by means of the-padlocks shown. The construct-ion of these plugs is not material. In the lower portion of the bypass is a pipe section E, the upper end of which is perforated and The perforated forms a guard to preto the the caspipe end and easing waterwheel which is contalned in ing Gr. Said wheel is not shown, but may be of any suitable construction to be rotated by the water fiow hich leaves the w casing by the pipe In the pipe H at I Specification of Letters Patent.

may valve.

1 1. "which incloscs l l tatc and so l wire 2& (which enters tubc iagnet then attracts tated'by its wound sprmg.

Patented Feb. 14, 1911.

Application filed April 13, 1910. Serial No. 555,131.

be placed any suitable torm o'l'check On the side of the wheel. casing G is secured a casing; J, in which-is a current generator K, Fig; 2, the rotary memberL of. which is carried on the shaft of the water wheel, and is rotated thereby, the fixed member I being secured to said casing.

livoted. in the segmental box M is a coil 7 and is normally disposed at right angles to a fixed coil 2. The armature winding 3 of the generator connects by the wires t, 5 passing throiuzh the protecting tubes 6', T. with the fixed coil 2. The movable coil 1 is connected to the fixed coil, and also to ground at 8. The armature winding 3 is also connected to ground at 9.

On the movable coil 1 is an arm 10 which, at its end, carries t-ne'armaturc 11 01. a permanent magnet 12 disposed within the box M. Entering box M and disposed between the magnet and armature is the arm 13 o a pivoted belhcrank lever the other arm 01% which is hooked to form a detent for the pallet tail of the actuating mechanism 0 a break wheel 16. l of any suitable construction, including, example, a wound spring'which. when leased by the freeing of the pallet tail 15 from the detent 14:, causes the wheel toromakean break circuitbetween its spring brush 17 and contact 15:}. Brush 17 and contact 18 are disposed in a local circuit which proceeds from brush 17, by wire 19 (which enters tube 7 through the wall thereof at 20, and leaves said tube at 21) to battery 22, magnet 23 of an wall thereof at 26, and'leaves said tube at 25) to contact 18. Battery 22-15 connected 9 to ground at 27. v

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: When water flow is set up in the wheel in casing G is rotated'by the'flow through-the by-pass B The currentfrom thegencrator K passing to the coils 1 and causes the movable coil so as to bring the armature 11 on the arm 10 into the field .ficieut force to cause sai l bell-crank lever 13, 14: to release the detent and so permit tlie break wheel 16 to be ro- The consequent makes and breaks' in the local circuit at l d by the 18 cause alarm signals to he sounds Said mechanism may he electric gong, 6 through the bend N therein,

gong, indicating for as lon as the flow through pipe A continues; Iarticular attention is called to the location of the bypass B; namely, first, in that its'lower pipe E connects with the main conduit A at the and for a certain distance is conduit, and, second,

to the main conduit posite sides of the usual .(dotted lines) in said conduit.

only one out of many sprinklers'fed by said pipe is in operation. Then the-check valve 0 will lift but slightly, and in fact will oscillate to and from its seat. As this valve closes, the inertia of the liquid in pipe A moving in the direction of the arrow will tend to force said liquid into the bypass B and thus increase the potential pressure difi'erence between the ends of said by-pass. So also as the current ,turns the quarter circle at the bend N, centrifugrfl force will'also tend to drive the liquid info pipe E and thus also will increase the aforesaid difl'erence. As a consequence, the working pressure onthe Wheel in the bypass is kept up even when the flow in pipe A is largely reduced, and the whole alarm 30 device thus rendered very sensitive.

We claim: 1. In. combination with a conduit for li uid flow, a with and normally open at both ends, a. wa-

ter-wheel interposed in and actuated by the flow in said by-pass, an electric generator driven by said wheel, and an electrical alarm device controlled by said generator.

2. In combination with a conduit for liquid flow, a by-pass communicating therewith and normally-open at both ends, a water wheel interposed in and actuated by the flow in said by-pass, an electric generator having its rotor driven by said Wheel, an electrical a'larm device controlled by the current from said generator, .and means for preventing the operation of said alarm device until the said rotor shall have attained a certain speed. I

3. I11 combination with a conduit for liq- .uid flow, a by-pass communicating therewith and normally open at both ends, a motor interposed in and actuated by the flow in said by-pass, a current generator driven by said motor, an alarm device, and means for actuoperated by the cur"- rent from said generator upon the attain= by-pass communicating there'- ment by said current of a certain predeten minedelectro-rnotive force. I

4. In combination with a conduit for liquid flow, (1) a by-pass thereon, a motor in ,terposed in and actuated by said flowin said bypass, and a current generator driven by said motor, and, (2) in separate circuit, an

(-3) means for releasing said alarm device controlled by the current'from said generator upon the attainment by said current of a certain predetermined electroemotiv'e force. I" 5. In combination with a conduit. for liquid flow, a'by-pass thereon, a motor interosed in and actuated. by said flow in said y-pass, a current generator driven by said motor, a permanent magnet, an armature therefor, means adtuated by a current from said generator of predetermined electro-motive force for moving said armature into the field of said magnet, and an alarm device controlled by the further movement of said armature due to the attraction of said magnet after entering said field.

6. In combination with a conduit for liq- 1nd 'flow having a bend,

conduit having one end connected to said conduit at said bend and inline with said conduit, :1 Water-wheel interposed in and actuated by the flow in said by-pass, an elec- I tric generator having its rotoron the shaft of said wheel, and an electrical alarm device controlled by the current from said generator.

7. In combination Witlra conduit for liq uid'flow, a by-pass, a Wheel liquid current in said by-pass, ing its armature on the shaft a fixed coil, a pivoted coil of said Wheel, inclosing said a by-pass on saidfixed coil, said coils being in circuit with the Y armature of said dynamo, an arm on said pivoted coil. a permanent magnet, an arn1ature for said magnet carried by said arm, a break wheel and mechanism for rotating the same, a detent for said mechanism operated to release said mechanism by said magnet armature, and, in; local circuit cont-rolled by said break wheel, an electrical alarm device.

' In testimony whereof We have aifixed our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

1 l. ALBERT GOLDSTEIN. I HENRY F. BLAOKVVE'LL.

i V Witnesses:

GEBTRUDE PORTER, "MAY T. MGGARRY. 

